Leaders of 'Fronts' are only eyeing the chair: Sonia

May 01, 2009 19:00 IST

Ridiculing the newly-floated 'Fronts', Congress chief Sonia Gandhi on Friday alleged that the sole motivation of their leaders was to "grab power" and the Prime Minister's chair while least bothering for the welfare of the country and the people.

"While these parties and their leaders have the sole aim to grab power and chair at any cost, the Congress wants to serve the people," she said addressing rallies in Rajasthan.

Underscoring the need for a "stable" government at the Centre, Gandhi claimed only the Congress had the ability to provide such an administration under the "able and honest" leadership of Manmohan Singh.

"Only the Congress party can run such a government dauntlessly that would be stable and sustainable," she said on the second leg of whirlwind poll-campaign.

Terming the National Democratic Alliance's tenure as "an era of darkness", she said, "NDA's rule was devoted to spreading hatred in the name of religion and caste and poisoning the society.... the country's borders were unsafe."

"Congress' policies and approach were never meant for any single religion or a particular caste but these were holistic and for the welfare of everyone regardless of communities," she said.

Recalling the Congress' victory in 2004, Gandhi said, "You had given the mandate and the Manmohan government fulfilled all promises made in party manifesto. Dr Manmohan Singh is able and an honest Prime Minister who planned the country's economy and public welfare schemes which ensured the country's future", she said.

Hailing the United Progressive Alliance government's achievements, Gandhi said the Prime Minister had taken a number of initiatives for the welfare of poor, dalit, farmers and youth.

She said the UPA alliance was committed to carrying forward all the development schemes and pending projects, if voted to power. She highlighted the UPA government's popular schemes like National Rural Employement Guarantee Act, Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, Bharat Nirman, farmers' loan waiver and nuclear power deal.

The Congress president, who was accompanied by Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, Pradesh Congress Committee President C P Joshi and All India Congress Committee functionaries, appealed the people to understand the power of each vote.

Addressing the people of the Jat belt, Gandhi said it was Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru who had initiated village linking scheme from Naguar.